Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve is a 10.4-acre high-quality dry-mesic and wet-mesic prairie (INAI #526)
owned by the Downers Grove Park District. Other features of the site include Grade C wet prairie and the
presence of the state endangered white lady's slipper orchid. The Downers Grove Park District proposes
dedication of an adjacent 15-acre tract of land as nature preserve buffer. The proposed addition encompasses
an extension of the Grade C wet prairie and degraded uplands that ultimately will be restored. This proposal
accommodates the Park District's interests in providing limited parking, trail development, and vegetative
screening along the nature preserve buffer boundaries at some time in the future. Dedication and restoration
of this tract as nature preserve buffer will further protect the hydrology of Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve
from adjacent incompatible land uses and enlarge the functional size of the present preserve.

REPORT
Steve Byers
Nature Preserves Commission

ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Preliminary Approval for Dedication

Item 10:* DuPage County -- Lyman Woods, Dedication

Lyman Woods is an 81.4-acre site comprised of high quality dry-mesic upland forest, dry gravel prairie, and
marsh communities. Lyman Woods is located in southeastern DuPage County and is owned by the City of
Downers Grove, Downers Grove Park District, and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. The
rolling topography is typical of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division of Illinois in which it is located.
The 19.1-acre dry-mesic upland forest that is proposed for dedication as nature preserve supports 232 native
plant species. An additional 62.3 acres of buffer is proposed, consisting of a dry gravel prairie and a degraded
wetland perched on the only known kame in DuPage County. At least two state-listed plants, the Wood's
Sedge and Hill's Thistle occur within the proposed Lyman Woods Nature Preserve. Although two of the
owners seek dedication of Lyman Woods, the Village of Downers Grove has refused. Consequently, two
citizens are petitioning the Commission for a biological determination of Lyman Woods' qualification for
dedication.

REPORT
Steve Byers
Nature Preserves Commission

ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Preliminary Approval for Dedication

Item 11:* Lake County -- Addition to North Dunes Nature Preserve

A 497-acre addition to the existing 226-acre North Dunes Nature Preserve is proposed for preliminary
approval for dedication as an Illinois Nature Preserve. An additional 93 acres is proposed for preliminary
approval for dedication as buffer. The proposed addition includes high and/or very high quality examples of
dry-mesic, mesic, wet-mesic and wet sand prairie, beach, dry-mesic sand savanna and marsh of the Lake
Michigan Dunes Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division, totaling 146.2 acres. Four
endangered plants are also included in this addition: jack pine, dune willow, seaside spurge, and American
sea-rocket. With approval of the proposed addition, the preserve and buffer areas will total approximately
816 acres.

REPORT
Randy Heidorn
Nature Preserves Commission

ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Preliminary Approval for Dedication

Item 12:* McHenry County -- Sterne's Fen, Dedication

The proposed Sterne's Fen Nature Preserve was recognized by the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI
#62) for the extant high-quality graminoid fen, low shrub fen, and calcareous seep communities. These
wetlands support unique plant communities that are dependent upon a continuous discharge of cold,
calcareous groundwater. At least ten state-listed endangered or threatened plant species are known to occur
in these unique wetlands. The Crystal Lake Park District proposes to dedicate 46.5 acres, encompassing the
Illinois Natural Areas Inventory site as nature preserve and 134.0 acres of uplands as nature preserve buffer.
The proposed nature preserve buffer provides important groundwater recharge and discharge sites that
support the high-quality wetland communities. This proposal also acknowledges the presence of pre-existing
trails and their use within the proposed nature preserve buffer and allows for the routing and construction of
the Prairie Trail, a regional greenways trail, through nature preserve buffer. Dedication of Veteran Acres
Prairie and Sterne's Fen as nature preserves will preserve a diverse and outstanding example of the mosaic of
plant and animal communities associated with the morainal landscape of northeastern Illinois.

REPORT
Steve Byers
Nature Preserves Commission

ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Preliminary Approval for Dedication

Item 13:* McHenry County -- Veteran Acres Prairie, Dedication

The proposed Veteran Acres Prairie Nature Preserve encompasses about 25 acres of Grade C dry-mesic
gravel prairie. Within the Morainal Division of Illinois only 1.9 acres of Grade A and 12.2 acres of Grade B
dry-mesic gravel prairie were identified compared to only 59.4 acres statewide. The proposed preserve is
included on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI #1258) because the site supports the state-endangered
narrowleaf pinweed, the state-threatened prairie buttercup, and Queen of the prairie. The proposed preserve
also supports one of four known populations of the silvery blue butterfly in Illinois. The Crystal Lake Park
District proposes to dedicate 33.5 acres as nature preserve and 38.8 acres as nature preserve buffer. This
proposal acknowledges the presence of existing trails and their uses within both the proposed nature preserve
and nature preserve buffer and also allows for the routing and construction of the Prairie Trail, a regional
greenways trail, through nature preserve buffer.

REPORT
Steve Byers
Nature Preserves Commission

ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Preliminary Approval for Dedication

Item 14:* Peoria County -- Root Cemetery Savanna, Dedication

Root Cemetery is 2.5 acres in size and is owned by Hallock Township in Peoria County, one mile northwest
of Chillicothe. It lies within the Illinois River Section of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Bottomlands
Natural Division. It is surrounded by rural agricultural land characterized by flat to gently rolling topography.
The natural community of this site is best termed a savanna, based on the structure and composition of its
vegetation. A wide variety of native grasses and wildflowers inhabit this area and over 100 native plants have
been observed here. Root Cemetery Savanna received preliminary approval for dedication at the
Commission's 141st Meeting (Resolution 1203).

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is seeking final approval for dedication of approximately 15 acres
as nature preserve in two different tracts located adjacent to Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve.
This 259-acre preserve is located in southwestern Will County within the Kankakee Sand Area Section of the
Grand Prairie Natural Division. Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve has been described by the
Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) as one of the most diverse natural areas of its type and includes high-quality sand prairie, sand savanna, sedge meadow, and marsh communities. The two proposed additions to
the preserve consist of sand savanna communities within the boundary of the original INAI natural area.
Dedication of these two tracts as nature preserve will further consolidate the eastern border of this preserve.
The two tracts of land were granted preliminary approval for dedication as nature preserve at the
Commission's 141st Meeting (Resolution 1205).

The 123.5-acre Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve is located in northwestern Will County and is owned by
the Forest Preserve District of Will County (FPDWC). This preserve, and nearby Lockport Prairie Nature
Preserve (also owned by the FPDWC) account for 33% of the Grade A and 66% of Grade B dolomite prairie
communities remaining in the state. A total of 317 native plant species are reported from Romeoville Prairie
Nature Preserve, including three federally listed species. In addition, a state-endangered spotted turtle occurs
in the preserve. The 3.2-acre addition proposed for dedication as nature preserve was identified in the original
INAI and consists of Grade C mesic dolomite prairie. Preliminary approval for dedication of the 3.2-acre
addition was granted at the Commission's 141st Meeting (Resolution 1206).

REPORT
Steven Byers
Nature Preserves Commission

ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Final Approval for Dedication

Item 17:* Winnebago County -- Sugar River Alder Tract, Dedication

The Winnebago County Forest Preserve District proposes final approval for dedication of the 184-acre Sugar
River Alder Forest Preserve as an Illinois Nature Preserve. The tract includes frontage along the Sugar River,
wet and wet-mesic floodplain forest, pond, sedge meadow, dry-mesic sand savanna, upland forest, dry
dolomite prairie, and successional fields being restored to dry mesic sand prairie and savanna. The Sugar
River provides habitat for two state endangered fish and three state endangered plants. Four threatened and
endangered birds have been confirmed nesting in the Sugar River corridor and two state endangered birds
have been observed during the breeding season. In 1978, the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory identified a 58-acre portion of the site as the Sugar River Alder Swamp natural area (INAI #912). The intent of the proposal
is to protect the Forest Preserve and its complex assembledge of endangered and threatened species and
habitats, from river to dolomite ridgetop. Preliminary approval for dedication of the Sugar River Alder Tract
was granted at the Commission's 141st meeting (Resolution 1207).